American actor and screenwriter Jack Coleman was born on February 21, 1958 in Easton, Pennsylvania. A sixth-generation grandson of Benjamin Franklin, he graduated from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina in 1980. He then took further training acting at the National Theater Institute. His first television role came in 1981, when he played the role of Jake Kositchek in the daytime soap Days of our Lives. He then became a regular on the primetime soap Dynasty, where he played Steven Carrington, the younger son of Blake (John Forsythe) and Alexis Carrington (Joan Collins), who later reveals his homosexuality. After guest roles in other television shows such as Glitter and The Colbys, he made his film debut in 1988, on the Australian independent film The Pursuit of Happiness.
In 1992, Coleman starred in the short-lived fantasy series Nightmare Caf?, where he played the sarcastic but good-hearted cook Frank Nolan. This was followed by a long list of credits in television movies, including Angels in the Endzone, Last Rites and Replacing Dad, as well as feature films, including Time Under Fire and Spawn. He also had guest roles in programs such as Diagnosis Murder, Touched by an Angel, The Net, Becker and According to Jim.
In 2004, Coleman got his first major television role in twelve years, when he starred in the miniseries Kingdom Hospital. He played the role of Peter Rickman, a comatose painter who discovers the past and future of the hospital where he is confined. Two years later, this was followed by another high-profile television role: that of Noah Bennet in the television series Heroes. His character is a businessman who actually tours the world investigating superhuman phenomena, and claims to assist them in learning how to use their powers. He is the father of Claire (Hayden Panettiere), who also has superhuman powers; he can be overprotective of her, though, and sometimes uses his resources to negative effect to protect her.
Exclusive Interview: Jack Coleman of 'Heroes', Part 1 Exclusive Interview: Jack Coleman of 'Heroes', Part 2